c/o Nicole Boyd

As a freshman, I have been a member of the Wesleyan community for about three weeks. To many, this may seem like a reasonable amount of time to acclimate to college life. But to be completely honest, I am still very much in the throes of figuring out our campus and all of its strange and wonderful twists and turns. Making friends has been a particular focus of mine throughout this period of adjustment, and although rather strenuous at times, this pursuit has led me to a cardinal breakthrough.

I have found college students are many things, but, oddly enough, they can be defined by various “H” words. All at once, they can be happy, high-strung, headstrong, high, helpful, and hung-over. Most importantly, however, they are almost always hungry.

It’s true that every Wesleyan student has hir own set of goals and motives, but at the end of the day, it’s clear that we all share an interest in free food. Thus, in response to this discovery, I have used my love of creating delicious confections to win the hearts (and stomachs) of my peers.

In the most recent implementation of my scheme, I whipped up Oreo truffles. Requiring only three ingredients, a few simple steps, and (if you desire) a couple of willing sous-chefs, these bite-size balls of goodness are as fun and easy to make as they are chocolaty and delicious. For those who are less adept in the kitchen, have no fear: this recipe calls for absolutely no baking. So, the next time you’re lonely and craving a sweet treat, give Oreo truffles a try. These guys are foolproof friend-makers.

Ingredients

1 package of Oreos, divided

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1 12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Crush 9 cookies into fine crumbs and reserve them for later use. Usually, this is done with a food processor; with dorm life restrictions, it’s easiest to place the Oreos in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or a spoon. Side-note: this step is a great way to relieve stress.

2. Crush the remaining cookies into fine crumbs and place in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese and mix until well blended. (I highly recommend using your hands. Yes, this will get messy, but this works better than any spoon.)

3. Roll cream cheese-cookie mixture into bite-sized balls.

4. Melt chocolate chips on stove or in microwave.

5. Dip balls in melted chocolate, place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper, sprinkle with the crumbs, and set aside.

6. Refrigerate until firm for about 1 hour. To store, keep leftover truffles covered in the refrigerator.